Bring Me To Life
by TellatrixForever
Summary: Right and Wrong. They're supposed to be clear. Black and White. Sometimes though, there's a grey area. Sometimes, to bring yourself back to life, you have to step into that grey area. Rated T and AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Bring Me To Life**

**This is a Blanket Disclaimer. I do not own, nor will I ever own, Harry Potter, or anything else that isn't apart of it's universe. I only own this idea.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who played a part in helping me create this story. I could not have done this without you.**

**Summary: A few days after being broken out of prison, Bellatrix and her family begin a journey that will test them to their limits and bring them back to life.**

**Chapter 1**

**January 23rd, 1996, Voldemort's Lair, 5:00 P.M.**

"Welcome, my Friends! It's been 14 long years since I have last seen you. Despite the time that has passed, what matters is that you nine, the few of my most faithful, are here now," boomed the cold voice of Lord Voldemort as he stood in the massive, Gothic styled ballroom of his lair while addressing the nine Death Eaters standing before him, in front of the other 30 Death Eaters in the room.

It had been three days since he had broken them out of Azkaban. Though they all had been rewarded with the opportunity to receive new clothing, the most rewarding thing any of them had been given was their freedom from a place that, in everyone's mind, was the personification of Hell on Earth.

Even though they were free, they were all on edge. Azkaban had left them all unhinged and they all never wanted to go back. Not after being forced to relive their worst memories every hour of every day for 14 long years.

The nine followers before Lord Voldemort were all that remained of the ten that had been broken out. Four of them were people he had appointed his top fighters. The first and most prominent of them was a woman of 5'11", with pitch black, curly hair with several streaks of silver and violet eyes. This was Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black.

Standing to the right of her was Rodolphus Lestrange, son of one of the First Death Eaters, standing at 6'1", despite being stocky, with curly, dark brown with a hint of gray hair and a face full of a beard that covered most of the scars that were on the right side of his face.

The third person was Rabastan Lestrange, standing at the same height as his brother, only lankier. Unlike him, however, he had straight hair, and was clean shaven. He had no visible scars along his face.

The final man standing before him that the Psychopath considered one of his top fighters was Antonin Dolohov, the son of Artur Dolohov, who had been one of his original followers. At 6'4", his long, pale, twisted face was covered by a beard that was in immediate need of shaving. His head was covered by dark red hair that he wore in a pony tail that reached below his broad shoulders.

He smiled and continued, "Basil. As you know, your blood traitor brother is not among us tonight. He elected to leave after I had so generously rescued him. When you see him again, you are to kill him."

The man he was referring to was known amongst the Death Eaters simply as 'Devil'. Not many knew his real name. Those who did never dared to call him by it.

He had trained under Bellatrix herself just as she trained under the Dark Lord himself. Some believed that her interest in the young man had been purely of sexual attraction, and that they did more shagging than training. Others believed that she had planned to leave her husband for him. They were wrong.

Though Bellatrix and Devil's relationship had been a close friendship, and even possible infatuation on his part, she had never been interested in him in that way and despised the rumors whispered among the ranks that she was some kind of whore to be used and then tossed aside. The ones foolish enough to suggest this were met by the Cruciatus Curse, delivered either by herself or her husband, Rodolphus.

Basil Mulciber smiled wickedly at his Lord's order and say, "It will be my utter pleasure, milord. I will not fail you. Devil will learn the fate that meets a deserter," not even daring to say his brother's name.

The Dark Lord nodded at his follower's enthusiasm and then continued, "Rodolphus."

Rodolphus, who had been on edge, jerked his head up and asked, "Yes, milord?"

Voldemort simply said, "Take out your wand and come stand by me."

As the younger man did so and approached his Lord, it was obvious to everyone he was nervous. What had he done to be called forward to stand by the Psychopath?

Voldemort then waved his wand behind him, revealing the reason. There were three men bound and gagged behind Dolohov. They had been hidden by a disillusionment charm. That's why no one except Voldemort knew that they were there.

"My Faithful Servant, you are to kill these three blood traitors. Do it now so they may be removed from my presence."

As Rodolphus raised his wand for the first time in 14 years to cast a curse he knew all too well and as his friend moved out of the way, he asked, "Milord, with all due respect, what transgression have these men committed against you?"

The Dark Lord answered with a monotone, "Their families wished to remain neutral in the war, refusing to pledge their service to my cause despite my various means of persuasion. I have made arrangements for their funds to be transferred to Lucius' account. It is a shame to see such pureblood wasted. To think that once upon a time, their families were respected. All that's left now are these three."

Rodolphus was nearly overcome with a sense of anger and disgust yet he knew disobedience was met with a death sentence. He took a long breath and quickly flicked his wand three times. Bright green flashes shot from the wand, effectively ending the lives of the three purebloods painlessly.

It took every ounce of self-control Rodolphus Lestrange had developed over the years to not turn around and give his Lord the finger. He had just ended another line of Purebloods, the kind they were fighting for. It brought back memories.

Memories about all the old pureblood families who had been killed in the First War that had died simply because they had chosen to remain neutral.

As he walked back to stand by his wife and brother, the Dark Lord said, "Bellatrix, Severus, come forward."

As the two walked forward to see their Lord, he said, "I have a special mission for you both."

"Yes, milord? What is it?" asked Bellatrix with vigor in her voice.

Voldemort looked to his servants and explained, "I have reason to believe that your godson, Draco Malfoy, is earmarked to become the Heir to the Black Family. Your blood traitor of a cousin, Sirius Black, is currently the Head of your Household. If, by some unfortunate manner of happenstance, something were to happen to Lord Black, Draco would become the new Head of House."

Severus stared at the Dark Lord with a neutral expression while Bellatrix had a look of confusion mixed with insanity on it.

"If Draco was to become the Head of the Black Family and he was to be brought into the fold, we would have access to the Black Family Estate. As well, the amount of Objects the Black Family has that can kill matches my own. If we were to gain those, it would greatly increase our advantage in the war to come."

The two waited silently as the Dark Lord allowed them to take in what he had just said. He finally concluded by saying, "Your mission is to kill Sirius Orion Black at the first chance you have. Do you understand?"

In that moment, several things happened. The first was Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew smiling maniacally. He was finally going to be rid of Sirius Black, the man who wished to see him dead. That would leave only Remus Lupin to die. As he smiled though, he was suddenly head slapped by Antonin Dolohov, who had just noticed him doing so.

The second was more subtle. A flash of gold glowed over Bellatrix Lestrange's violet eyes, though it went unnoticed by both Severus and the Dark Lord. If it was noticed, both men ignored it. Severus answered, "Yes. We understand, milord."

"With that, this meeting is adjourned. You all are dismissed."

As the Death Eaters piled out of the room, Voldemort had no idea about what was going on in the minds of his elite Death Eaters. Nevertheless, he knew they were all on edge and that this would last for a good while.

At the same time, if they were on edge all the time, there was no chance for complacency to fester. The chances for victory in the war would be that much greater.

What he didn't know was that, in 14 years, a lot of things had changed in Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan and Dolohov. Among those changes, the most prominent change of all was their Machiavellian mentalities.

* * *

Antonin Dolohov stared at the old photo as he took a slug from the bottle of Fire-Whiskey in his hand. It had been taken about 2 years before he joined the Death Eaters, which in itself had been 30 years ago. He was deep in thought as he reminisced on his family.

There were seven people in the photo, which was set on his family's porch on the porch swing. Three girls sat on the floor while in between two adults sat on the sides, with two boys between them. Antonin sat on the right hand side, with a man to his right.

The man sitting to the right of Dolohov was his father, Artur Dolohov, a Russian through and through, sitting in casual clothing and with a genuine smile on his face. It was one of the few times his father ever smiled. Despite being a ruthless Death Eater, Artur Dolohov had always made time for his family and Antonin had him to thank for teaching him how to duel like a champion as well as how to create his own spells.

Though Artur Dolohov died in the First War, Antonin still considered him his hero.

The boy sitting next to Antonin was his brother, Alexander, who was two years younger than him. He had inherited the Dolohov Family's signature male looks of long faces and, of course, their trademark dark red hair. He had never been approached by Voldemort in taking part in the Death Eaters and that was something Antonin was grateful for.

The woman in the photo was a stunning brunette, wearing a summer dress underneath a red jumper. She was Juliana Dolohov nee Vesely, a woman from Czechoslovakia whom his father had married in 1945. She too was deceased, but had been the caring Mum that anyone could hope for.

The three girls in the photo were his younger sisters. The one at his feet was Anna Dolohov, who was about 43 years old now. She herself had the signature dark red hair and was smiling just like her mum. She was always Antonin's favorite sister.

Unfortunately, she had become the Black Sheep so to speak of the Dolohov family when she joined the Aurors after graduating, which had made their relationship strained to the point that he wondered how, despite having fought her several times, they made time to be siblings, with her even going to the point of making it a priority to visit him in Azkaban when she could.

The second girl was Alisa Dolohov, who was about two years younger than Anna. She had her arms wrapped around Anna and she too was smiling. Unfortunately, about 2 weeks after the photo was taken, she was kidnapped and killed. The photo in Antonin's hand was the only photo he still had of her as Artur had burned the rest in his grief.

Finally, there was Anfis Dolohov, who was sitting on her Mum's lap in the photo. Currently, she is 39 years old. If Anna hadn't been his favorite sister, Anfis surely would have as her natural sadistic tendencies made her a feared torture specialist. When he had introduced her to Bellatrix, they hit it off immediately.

Antonin sighed as he fought the nostalgia. He missed them all dearly. But now wasn't the time to think about family. He had other things on his mind.

Most people viewed the 47 year old Death Eater as a dumb brute of sorts. People thought he was only in the Dark Lord's forces because his Daddy was one and that he followed orders blindly.

Many believed that he only loved blowing shit up and bringing the pain to the enemy without any consideration of the big picture in life.

They were wrong. Antonin Dolohov wasn't a dumb brute who couldn't think for himself. He had been top of his class in Slytherin. He had been a Beater for their Quidditch team, and had, before he was approached by the Dark Lord, been a dueling champion that few could beat.

On occasion, Antonin saw the big picture when it came to plans. He remembered how things used to be during the First Wizarding War. It was bloody, no doubt about that. But his Lord, the man he served 14 years in Azkaban for, was a much different person.

Voldemort, during the First War, saw the big picture and was more strategic. He killed those necessary and didn't take unnecessary risks that would compromise the cause.

Most of all, he didn't make one big plan that, in reality, was a major gamble that could severely cripple their forces and risk damage to himself or the cause.

He hadn't been out of Azkaban for a week and he could already tell that Lord Voldemort was NOT the same man he went to Azkaban for. From the talk amongst the ranks, the Dark Lord was behaving erratically, something he hadn't done in the First War.

Along with that, Lucius Malfoy, a man whom while he respected for his prowess in torture, despised otherwise, had told him that the Dark Lord intended to lure Potter to the Ministry in June to retrieve a Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries.

Antonin had never been one to believe in fate and didn't put stock into Prophecies. And why in the world would his Lord focus on a 15 year old boy who hadn't even become a man yet?

During their 14 year stint, He, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and Bellatrix had been in adjacent cells to one another and had passed a lot of the time talking. They mostly talked about the good old days. Another topic that had come up numerous times in the early years was the Dark Lord's methods.

One thing they had managed to agree upon was how, during the war, at the rate Voldemort had been going, there were not going to many purebloods left to continue the Magical World the way they wanted since most of the old pureblood families had been slaughtered by Voldemort during the First War.

If he had been asked when he first joined the Death Eaters if he had doubts about the Dark Lord, he would have told the person who asked to go fuck himself.

The early years in Azkaban brought upon doubts. If his Lord had been 'All Powerful' like he claimed to be, why hadn't he rescued them sooner as opposed to leaving them to rot?

Antonin then thought about all the promises that the Dark Lord had made to all of them. When had he delivered on any of them? He had not. He had lied to all of them. That was something Antonin couldn't abide for one minute.

Putting down his bottle of whiskey and his photo, he conjured a dark duffel bag with his wand and went to his dresser drawer. He needed to start packing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bellatrix herself was staring at an old photograph as well. It was of herself, Andromeda, and Narcissa, the day she had graduated from Hogwarts.

Though she had disowned Andromeda when she left her and Narcissa for that mudblood, she couldn't help but still love her. They had been too close for that bond they had to be completely destroyed.

The photo also brought back the happiest memory of her lifetime. The day she and her two sisters went to Hogwarts together as a family. Back then, she promised her sisters that she'd always love and watch over them.

When she was 17 years old, Bellatrix had joined the Death Eaters, yes. Her father, Cygnus Black, had been a big gambler. He was not necessarily an evil man, per say, but he wasn't very good at poker. One night, he lost to Lord Voldemort.

He was broke at the time and the Dark Lord had been willing to kill him if he did not pay his debt. So Cygnus Black offered his eldest daughter as a Death Eater and as payment, forcing her to swear an oath of loyalty to Lord Voldemort, to serve him with a slavish devotion.

However, there was one condition that Cygnus failed to mention to the Dark Lord when his daughter made that vow. A failsafe within the Black Family magic that prevented any member of the Black Family from killing their Head of House intentionally.

Because of the obvious conflict of interest between her loyalty to her house and the Oath she made all those years ago, the Oath became null and void the moment Voldemort ordered her to kill Sirius Black.

It was not all powerful as it didn't change the fact that she had served Voldemort out of obligation to his cause despite the oath and the fact she was still very much insane. It certainly didn't change her hatred of Muggles.

During the many conversations she had with her husband, her brother-in-law and best friend, they had discussed whether the philosophy of Purebloods being better than everyone else had been accurate or not.

They still hated Muggles. There was no doubt about that. They still didn't like Muddies, Half-Bloods or Squibs. However, the First War had proven that some Mudbloods had skill as shown by the Aurors whom they fought against. After many arguments and debates, they finally decided that they could, at the very least, tolerate them and avoid them if it was not necessary to see them.

However, they still absolutely hated Mudbloods who wanted to change things. Mudbloods who wanted to change the Wizarding World without learning anything about it were the kind they hated the most.

Azkaban, while stripping away her sanity, made Bellatrix reflect more than she used to. Though she had real love for Lord Voldemort, it was clear even to her that he did not love her back. The only thing her devotion had gotten her was 14 years in Hell.

When the Oath had been broken, she had seriously considered staying just for the Hell of it and for her love. Then she had walked into her room and had discovered the old photograph. It had brought tears to her eyes. She wept for what seemed like the first time in a long time.

The memory of her sisters caused her head to spin with random emotions. First, Bellatrix felt remorse for killing Pureblood Families.

The next moment, she began feeling love for her sisters before she felt unexplainable rage at Cissy. How come she got the good life?

Finally and ultimately, she felt anger towards Lord Voldemort. Why did he not rescue her earlier than he did?

It was official. Bellatrix Lestrange felt no more faith in Voldemort. Though her feelings of love for him remained intact, she suppressed them as she conjured an enchanted handbag and walked over to her dresser.

Her feelings be damned. Her Lord wasn't as powerful as he claimed to be. For all she knew, he was a filthy Half-Blood. Or worse, a Mudblood. She shuddered at the utter thought of that.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Rodolphus' room, he and Rabastan were shooting the breeze.

"Rodolphus, you can't be serious, can you?" asked Rabastan as Rodolphus conjured a black duffel bag and walked over to his dresser.

"I am very serious, Rab." replied Rodolphus as he put the bag downed and stared his younger brother in the eyes before continuing, "Look, you and me, we both have been toying with this idea ever since our second year. I made my decision. I'm leaving tomorrow night and I'm not coming back."

"You'll be killed if you do, Rod." said Rabastan with obvious concern in his voice for his brother.

"Why not? Our 14 years mean nothing to the Dark Lord. You saw what happened out there! He forced me to spill magical blood for no reason. They could have been put under the Imperius Curse and would've been of better use! It was killing just for killing's sake. Before Azkaban, I would have had no issue with it doing it to Mudbloods or Half-bloods, but this is an entirely different matter! I am not going to be forced to do so anymore! The Dark Lord can take his orders and shove them up his arse!" declared Rodolphus in a voice Rab never heard him use.

Rodolphus Lestrange had always been a soft-spoken man, rarely ever raising his voice. To hear him yelling meant shit just got real.

"Besides, you heard what he ordered my wife to do! Kill her own Head of House, he says! Now, granted, the Head of the Black family is a Blood Traitor, but still, it's the principle of the matter, Rab. Nothing you say or do can stop me now, Rabastan. You can either join me or stay here." continued Rodolphus. Though he spoke passionately, he was worried. He really hoped his brother wouldn't stay. He'd hate to have to fight him.

Rabastan stared at his older brother with a look of uncertainty in his eyes before saying, "Rod, I may have kept quiet at the time but I saw the hesitation in your eyes when you killed those men. It's also clear that the Dark Lord doesn't value any of us. I'm your brother first and a Death Eater last. I would rather risk my life and freedom to stand by you than to stay with that bastard who would kill me for his own amusement."

Rodolphus walked over to his brother and pulled him into a bear hug. It was an enormous relief that he wouldn't have to fight his own brother.

Ending the hug after a few minutes, Rabastan conjured his own bag and started packing as well.

**Authors Note: So, what do you think? Please leave a review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'd like to point out right now, that from now on, this story is going to get darker. As you notice, the rating has been changed from K+ to T. This is for a very good reason.**

**Chapter 2**

**The Next Night, around 11 P.M.**

All four of the defectors quietly exited their rooms, and as they walked down the hallway, they bumped into each other, catching themselves quickly before they could make a too much of a ruckus.

It was important not to alert anyone, lest they go to the Dark Lord, who would surely kill them for their attempted betrayal. That was why they had shrunk their bags down to pocket size so that they would light enough to make a quick escape if necessary.

As they looked each other in the eyes, it was apparent that they had all decided to leave at the same time. Coincidence or not, they really couldn't do anything about it.

They didn't say anything else as they made their way to the entrance. No one else was up at this time of night. They were all defecting and never coming back to the shit-hole that Voldemort called home. An unspoken agreement was made then and there that they would stick together. It was better than going on the run by themselves.

Bellatrix gave her husband a quick peck on the cheek before they stopped at her sister's room. She had been the one who initiated the stop before she silently entered the room and walked over her youngest sister's sleeping form.

She smiled at the sleeping form of Narcissa Malfoy née Black, a woman who was 41 years old. Her long blonde hair with a pitch black streak down the middle rained down her face as she slept peacefully.

Unlike Bellatrix and Lucius, Narcissa had never been marked, but was associated very closely with the Death Eaters. Her husband was the only reason she was staying at the Lair.

Bella leaned down to Narcissa's cheek, brushed the hair aside, and gave her little sister a soft, sweet kiss on the cheek, just as she had done numerous times when they were little, when Cissy had nightmares.

She whispered into the younger woman's ear, "Cissy, no matter what happens, I'll always love you, and I'll always look after you. Never doubt that."

Rodolphus' soft voice said, "Come on Ma Cherrie. We need to go. We don't have much time."

He had a point. Though it was far from morning, if they stay any longer than necessary, they risked being discovered by the more loyal Death Eaters. Or even worse, the Dark Lord himself.

As they started once again to the entrance of the Manor, they happened to pass by another room. They instantly recognized this room as the one that belonged to Peter Pettigrew, better known by his nickname from school 'Wormtail'.

Almost instantly Bellatrix was filled with uncontrollable rage. For as long as he had been a Death Eater, they had absolutely and completely despised Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew for not suffering alongside them. However, she had especially hated him.

Despite what she was about to do, she had at one point been a loyal Death Eater. She couldn't stand the idea that her Former Lord forgave him for not looking for him for 12 years after he had taken the easy way out.

She had searched for him, and got 14 years in prison.

He had never gone what they had gone through.

He never got punishment for being a Death Eater.

He had never gotten what he deserved for betraying James and Lilly Potter and framing Sirius Black, a person whom while she hated, was formerly a Black. The Black's were all about Family. Anyone who betrayed one, even a former one, was in her eyes, scum.

And to top it all off, he didn't come back to Lord Voldemort out of loyalty. He came back because he was scared of him, as he should be. There was no other option for him.

He was a fucking coward and blood traitor.

She despised cowards.

He never got punishment.

She realized then and there that she needed to correct that.

Suddenly, an idea formed in her head. A wicked idea. One that would allow herself, and her comrades some play time. It would also help out her House's Head. She said, "Put on your Hoods and Masks now and distort your voice."

They looked at her as if she was mad. Rodolphus asked, "Darling, what are you up to?"

"We're taking Wormtail hostage. We're going to make him pay for everything he's ever done. But we do it right. We make it look like we're serving the Dark Lord, and punishing him for his failures. Then, we are going to turn him in. now put on your damn hoods and masks. We don't have much time." replied Bellatrix in an annoyed tone.

They couldn't honestly say anything in reply. She was right. There wasn't much time. Best not to argue. They put on their Death Eater Hoods and Masks and cast a distortion charm on their voices. No one would be able to tell who they were.

Purely excellent.

Without a word, Dolohov smiled manically and silently opened the door. Rabastan went in first, and had his wand pointed at Wormtail's throat in an instant before he was joined by Bellatrix, Rodolphus, and Antonin. Bellatrix then leaned in and growled into Wormtail's ear, "Wake up, you little rat."

As the short man did, he nearly shit his pants at the sight of the four Death Eaters in front of him, wands aimed directly at him. Rabastan growled, "Don't say a word. And we even think you're going to scream, you'll learn the true meaning of pain."

As Wormtail closed his mouth before it could scream out, Rodolphus said, "You're going to die, Peter Pettigrew. You have failed the Dark Lord too many times for you to live. But you are first going to be tortured, and we have orders to make it as painful as we possibly can."

With a flick of Dolohov's wand, Wormtail was stunned, and Bellatrix acted quickly when she put a blindfold and gag on him, and Rodolphus placed an anti-animagus jinx upon him. They all knew about his ability. They refused to allow him to get free this time. He was going to pay for everything he had done.

Without a word, Antonin put the rat over his shoulder, and they left the Manor behind, doing, up until recently, they would have thought as foolish. They honestly couldn't believe they had done what they did.

They had defected from Lord Voldemort, the most feared and darkest wizard of all time, and had essentially flipped him the proverbial 'bird'. And they didn't really give a shit. It was too late to turn back now.

* * *

They apparated to about 8 miles away from the Manor. It was a wooded area, close to a small river, and a place where it would be very unlikely for anyone to find them.

After they had placed wards all around their selected campsite, Dolohov turned to Bellatrix and asked in a gruff voice, "Are you out of your damn mind woman?"

"What the Bloody Hell are you talking about, Tony?" demanded Bellatrix before Antonin cut her off by yelling, "Defecting against the Dark Lord is one thing. Acting against him is an entirely different matter! Do you have ANY idea as to what he'll do to us if he finds out we kidnapped and turned his rat?"

"Shut the fuck up Tony!" yelled out Rabastan as his hand went for his wand instinctively.

Before Antonin could lunge for the younger man, Rodolphus intervened by coming between the two of them. He said, "Knock it off. Tony, the Dark Lord isn't going to leave us alone. Not after what we just did. Do you really think that he'll be any different after we do this?"

The older man stared Rodolphus down as he continued, "The sooner he falls, the sooner we'll have him out of our hair. I figure that turning in that piece of goat shit will speed it up. We all need to have a cool head right now. So go take a walk. Have a smoke. Take a deep breath. Just calm down."

Wormtail began moving. They realized that he was waking up. They shut up immediately and began setting up camp.

Rodolphus and Rabastan were the ones who set up their tent while Antonin and Bellatrix kept watch over Wormtail. Though he had tried to change into a rat, he was unable to, due to the jinx they had cast on him.

Rodolphus then had a thought. He said, "Guys, one of us is going to have to stay up to make sure our guest doesn't scurry away. Aside from that, I'm sure I can vouch for everyone here when I say that I don't want that piece of filth in the same tent as us."

"I'll do it," volunteered Antonin as he conjured a lawn chair in front of the tent as Bella, Rodolphus and Rabastan walked inside. They knew that if Antonin was watching over Wormtail, he wasn't going anywhere.

He had earned the record of staying up most in Azkaban for going 12 days without sleep, which he had won because he, unlike his companions, had learned from an early age the art of how to function with very little sleep.

As for the cold weather outside, it was no problem to him either. He had grown up in Russia, quite possibly one of the coldest places on earth, and compared to it, England was warm to him.

Plus, he just plain loved the outdoors, and had gone camping with his brother and sisters when they were growing up a lot.

Antonin then pulled out his bottle of Fire-Whiskey, aimed his wand lazily at Wormtail, and said, "If you even twitch, you are going to die, Peter Pettigrew."

They sat in silence for a little while before Wormtail said, "I have to pee."

"Too fucking bad."

* * *

Rabastan finally finished setting up the hammock, and looked to Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Though they tried their best to hide it, it was obvious they were both horny. He couldn't blame them. 14 years is a long time to go without shagging.

Then again, during the First War, they had been horny as rabbits, and often shagged in the most embarrassing of places.

One of their particular 'fetishes', was shagging immediately after a raid or even in the house of their victims. Both were certified nightmare fetishist's, and often got turned on by things that made most cringe in fear and terror.

Rabastan also suspected that his brother reused condoms. It was a wonder that Bellatrix hadn't ended up pregnant during the First War, considering the amount of shagging they did. It was probably due to the fact she often took a birth-control potion.

And aside from all of that, he had a distinct feeling that Rodolphus and Bellatrix were in to bondage and submission. Considering that Bellatrix wore the pants in their relationship, he had no doubts as to who exactly was often the submissive.

He turned around, and said, "Bella, Rod, as much as you two like to go at it like rabbits, please keep it down or at least put a silencing charm on my ears. I really don't feel like hearing Bella scream out in pleasure tonight," referring to the fact Bellatrix was a screamer in bed.

Bellatrix cackled at his request and asked, "Aw, what's the matter Rab? Can't stand to hear your brother shagging me?"

Though she did laugh at his request, Rodolphus did put a silencing charm over his ears. That allowed him to sleep soundly while his brother and sister-in-law did things that he really didn't want to think about at the moment.

* * *

The next morning, as Rodolphus, Bellatrix, and Rabastan walked out of the tent and shrank it down to a size they could fit in their duffle-bags, they saw an interesting sight.

Antonin Dolohov hadn't moved a muscle from where he sat the entire night. He still had his wand pointed at Wormtail, who was shaking violently, obviously in terror of the fate that awaited him.

The rat yelled out, "Please let me use the bathroom! I really, REALLY need to pee!"

Rodolphus looked to his friend and nodded. Antonin then picked the smaller man up and took him to a tree to relieve himself.

About 5 minutes later, Rodolphus stunned Wormtail again, and Bellatrix raised an eyebrow as she asked, "Now where do we go? I'm NOT sleeping in a tent again!"

Antonin said, "We're going to need a new place to sleep. And I know exactly where we can that doesn't involve a tent. It's a tavern about five miles from London. I know the owners. They aren't going to summon the Aurors."

"Are they trustworthy?" asked Rabastan cautiously. He didn't feel like being given a return trip to Azkaban.

"I trust them with my life. They're trustworthy." replied Antonin confidently. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that the owners of the tavern would rather die than betray him or his friends.

"Excellent. Let's go then!" yelled out Bellatrix as Antonin created a Portkey for them to travel by. Grabbing onto it, they were instantly transported to outside the tavern that they had been told about.

* * *

The Tavern was named 'Wyverns Tavern'. It was an old place, as evidenced by the wear of the wood that made it up, but it was imposing enough to command respect from those who looked upon it.

Antonin said nothing as he walked into the tavern first to find a homely sight. It was decorated like a traditional pub, and two people were minding the bar, both wearing dark robes.

The first person was a tall man, only an inch below Antonin's height, was in his 40s, and was quite burly. Close cropped dark red hair lined his head.

The second person was Bellatrix's height, in her late 30s, and was beautiful. Dark red hair covered her head as well, running to her shoulders. Dark shadows lined her dark eyes and an ancient scar covered her face, running from ear to ear, forming an eerie, eternal smile.

The two bar owners looked up from what they were doing immediately as the four walked in. Suddenly, without warning, they walked out from behind the bar and pulled Antonin into a bear hug as he said, "Alex! Anfis!"

"Tony! It's so good to see you!" yelled out Anfis Dolohov as she nearly squeezed the life out of her eldest brother, while Alexander Dolohov hugged his brother more gently, though firmly.

"Anfis, I need air. Please," gasped Antonin before the youngest Dolohov let him go. He had forgotten that Anfis gave people killer hugs. She was nearly as bad as her Mum.

He looked to his brother and handed Wormtail over to him and Anfis. He said, "Alex, my friends and I need to use your cellar. Anfis, put this little rat in there. Make sure there aren't any bars, cracks, or anything else in it. Don't need him escaping."

About five minutes later, Anfis and Alexander had returned, and the foursome had sat down at the bar. They needn't worry about anyone walking in on them, as the Tavern did not open until four in the afternoon.

Anfis looked at the four of them and said after a cackle, "You people are a piece of work. Was that who I think it is?"

"Yes, that was, Anfis." replied Bellatrix, looking the younger woman in the eye. They both knew the other from the First War and had often engaged in verbal debates.

Anfis smiled wickedly and asked, "Do we get to play with him before we dispose him of him? It's been so long since we did something like that, Bella."

"14 years seems like an eternity when you've been in where I have," Bellatrix said, "How did you manage to keep out of Azkaban, Anfis?"

"A lot of calming droughts and a run in with a Dementor can make a difference."

"You ran into a Dementor?" asked Rodolphus.

"One time and that was one time too many for my tastes." replied Anfis as she stroked the scar lines on her face.

"To answer your question, no. We can't kill him, unfortunately. We need him alive so that we can clear the name of my Head of House." said Bella coyly to the younger woman. They both longed to give the rat his due.

"Why are you suddenly so devoted to Sirius Black, Bellatrix? The man's a sodding blood traitor for God's sake!" declared Alexander as he looked the younger woman in the eyes.

Sensing that Alexander was about to test his luck with Bellatrix, Rodolphus sat the drink he had poured down and said, "Alex, we have left the Dark Lord's service."

As Anfis and Alexander stared at the four in shock, Rodolphus went on to explain their situation, how they had come to be where they were, why they had done what they did, everything.

Rabastan then finished, "We need a place to stay. Not forever, just for a few days. A week at the most. Can you help us out?"

Alexander and Anfis Dolohov looked to the other and nodded. Alex then went behind the counter and produced four warm bowls of porridge as well as warm loaves of breads before handing them over to them. He said, "You four can spend a week here, in the empty rooms. For now, dig in."

It was not the finest cuisine in town but it was satisfying to them. In fact, Bellatrix almost wept at how sweet the taste of the porridge was compared to the slop they had to eat for 14 years in Azkaban. Rodolphus put an arm around her and held her close as Rabastan and Antonin ate silently and contently.

An hour later, they were shown to their rooms and soon they were each resting peacefully in warm, soft beds. Rodolphus left a luminous charm on since both of them dreaded the darkness.

That was one of the things that Azkaban had done to them. Pure darkness in a room reminded them too much of the demons called dementors. Another was that no matter how much they ate, their stomachs had shrank so much that they'd never fully regain the weight they had pre-prison. And never again would they ever be able to spend any large amount of time on the beach.

For the first time in 14 years, Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix and the Lestrange brothers slept peacefully.

**So, what do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Be warned. This chapter contains violence.**

**Chapter 3**

**Meanwhile, at Voldemort's lair, 7:00 A.M.**

The Death Eaters were experts when it came to torture. There was no doubt about that. Every single one of them had to be in order to even join.

However, when the traditional Crucio just wasn't enough, they often had to improvise. obviously, this led to many, 'inventive' methods and tactics that were common among the ranks.

One of which was chaining the victim upside down from the ceiling, naked, by their heels. It was one of the more common methods used. It gave the one doing it the opportunity to inflict extreme pain upon the victim.

That was exactly what was happening to Narcissa Black and as of recently, formerly Malfoy as her ex-husband, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Basil Mulciber and Edric Nott watched Lord Voldemort torture her with the Cruciatus Cruse.

The screams that echoed across the room, filling everyone's ears, nearly made them cringe in fear and terror as Voldemort finally let up on it. The screams from Lady Black did nothing to sway any mercy or leniency from the Dark Lord, as he had none.

"Why? What have I done to warrant such action?" Narcissa cried out in a desperate attempt to persuade him to stop.

The Dark Lord looked at her with absolutely no emotion as he explained, "Punishment by proxy, Narcissa, for your sister electing to flee from my side in the dead of night with her husband, brother-in-law and Dolohov. _Crucio!"_

As the pain hit Narcissa, Voldemort didn't let up one bit until the youngest Black sister had passed out from the pain. As he did so, many of the Death Eaters walked out of the room, except for Basil Mulciber. Finally releasing the curse, the Dark Lord turned to Basil said, "Basil, you may do as you wish with Ms. Black. Kill her when you're done."

Basil seemed to become even more demonic looking as he heard his Lord's instruction and said, "Yes, milord. I understand."

Being the most evil and dark Lord in all of Britain, despite what most thought, was not at all an easy job. It was highly stressful, what with having to deal with idiots on a daily basis, planning his revenge on Harry Potter and plotting to take over the world or at the very least, Britain.

However, this did not mean he didn't understand his Death Eaters. He understood them very well. For example, Basil Mulciber was one of the more vicious of his followers. They were all vicious, as it was part of the job description, but he was one of the more depraved as Voldemort knew that he often did things to the female prisoners that would leave anybody wishing for death immediately afterwards.

He departed from the torture chamber and went to another room in the Manor, finding five fairly new recruits stretching. They were Jamal Blum, Reginald McDonald, Ian Thompson, Conrad Bouquet and Matthew Murphy, all former Aurors for the British Ministry of Magic. He had gone back for them after offering them revenge against those who had wronged them during the initial breakout from Azkaban.

He asked conversationally, "Are your quaters acceptable?"

"Yes, milord. Thank you for rescuing us." replied Jamal Blum.

"Good."

**Meanwhile, in the Torture Chamber**

"Help. Please," whispered Narcissa Malfoy as she watched Basil Mulciber lock the door before walking over to his work bench, where Narcissa knew he kept a variety of tools to help with the…'fun', as he so called it.

Having heard what the Dark Lord had done, Narcissa knew that she was to be Basil Mulciber's play thing until he was done. That had given her enough adrenaline to call for help.

A soft pop brought her out of it, and Impy, Narcissa's house-elf appeared. He whispered, "Mistress call Impy?"

"Get me out here, Impy. Take me anywhere, just so long as it's far from here." whispered Cissy, trying her best not to draw Basil's attention.

"Yes, Mistress." replied Impy as she grabbed onto Narcissa and with another pop, apparated her out of the chains and the Manor.

**Tonks Residence, 8:30 A.M.  
**  
"Mum! Get out here now!" yelled out Nymphadora Tonks from outside the house in terror.

Dropping the book she was reading immediately, Andromeda Tonks ran outside to the front of her home. She found Tonks holding the nude, bloodied, scarred and barely alive form of her younger sister in her arms.

Though she was not on the best of terms with her sisters, it still struck Andromeda with shock and surprise to see Cissy in such a way. "What happened?" Andromeda demanded.

"I found her on the steps like this." Tonks said as she wrapped her estranged aunt in a blanket she transfigured.

"Get her in the house, Tonks. She needs immediate attention or she's going to die!" Andy instructed, her Healer training kicking in as she helped her daughter get Narcissa into the room before transfiguring a bed in the middle of the room.

Settling Narcissa on the bed, Andromeda pulled out her wand and began doing a series of diagnostic charms on her younger sister.

It wasn't good. Her left eye had nearly been destroyed. 4 of her ribs were broken. Someone sliced her face from ear to ear but had stopped the bleeding. Her internal organs were severely bruised and damaged. Her heart rate was low, but it was still there. Bruises and cuts adorned her body.

The sight of the injuries was nearly enough to make Andromeda sick. At that moment, Andromeda didn't see the haughty woman that she hadn't spoken with in 28 years. She saw a broken woman that desperately needed her help.

A groan brought her out of her nostalgia. Cissy was still alive and awake though barely. She asked, "Andy? Is that you?"

"Yes. It's me, Cissy. I'm here to help you. I'm not going to let you die. But I won't lie to you. These are serious wounds." said Andy as she began casting healing charms on her sister with everything she had.

While doing so, Cissy murmured something. Andromeda asked, "What?"

"I'm sorry, Andy. For everything." Cissy nearly whispered as a tear flowed down the eye that wasn't swollen shut.

"Shhh. It's alright. I've got you." whispered Andy in replied as she continued to heal her sister.

"No. It's not," Narcissa gasped, her voice small and weak from the pain. "I'm so sorry for what we did. If this is the end for me, I wanted you to know that." continued Narcissa, ignoring her older sister's statement to shush.

Though Andy continued casting every healing spell that she could think of to repair Narcissa Black's body, she was also able to say, "Mother and Father cast me out of their house. I took you into mine. The fact that you are apologizing tells me everything. Now forget such talk about death. You are going to make it, Narcissa. See? All done."

Narcissa looked confused as Tonks explained, "It's done, Narcissa. Mum has always been good at mending and healing, especially those she loves."

Looking at the younger woman, a realization struck Narcissa. "What are you going to do with me? Have you summoned your fellow Aurors to take me into custody?"

"No crime had been committed by you that I know. I have no reason to make any arrest." Tonks said, looking at her estranged aunt. "You needed a Healer more than you needed a Ministry tribunal."

"You have your mother's heart, which is more than what I have." Narcissa said, cringing when she attempted to sit up, only to be brought back down by the pain.

"Don't move, Cissy. Considering what you have endured, you need plenty of bed rest to regain your strength." ordered Andy, placing a cool towel on Cissy's forehead.

"Narcissa, I do have my Mum's heart but I don't believe that you're a heartless woman." Tonks said as she held her aunt's hand.

This banter continued between the three women before Andromeda finally addressed the elephant in the room.

"How's Bellatrix, Cissy?"

"She ran away in the dead of night. I don't know where she is. What I do know is that she has gone into hiding from the Dark Lord. He did this to me as punishment for her betrayal."

"My sister has left Voldemort?" asked Andromeda, shocked at the fact her estranged sister, a woman most believed to be the incarnation of the Devil, would leave the Dark Lord.

Flinching at the name, Narcissa nodded. She then said, "Don't reach out to her, Andy. If you do, it will only bring upon the Dark Lord's wrath and he will come for all of us."

"If he does, we'll be ready for him." Tonks said with as much confidence as she could muster under the circumstances. Unbeknownst to her mother and aunt, Tonks already had a plan forming in her mind to seek out Bellatrix Lestrange.

**The Next Day, 3:00 P.M.**

Wormtail was startled as light suddenly filled the cellar he was trapped in. It was appropriately scary with the damp floor, pitch black darkness and iron chains on the walls. In the light, it looked very much like a dungeon. It would have made Argus Filch proud.

Three people stepped into the room, wearing Death Eater robes and masks. Their wands were drawn and aimed at him.

It dawned on him what was about to happen and what value he had to the Dark Lord now. It would not be quick in at all but it would be painful in every way possible.

In his life, Peter Pettigrew had never shown an ounce of bravery. There were many times when he wondered why the Sorting Hat put a such a coward like him in Gryffindor.

That was his last conscious thought before two voices yell out in chorus, _"Crucio!"_

It felt as if someone had submerged him in a vat of battery acid as the flesh on his body seemed to be torn straight off the bones itself. The pain was unimaginable.

"This is long overdue for you, Peter Pettigrew! You should have known the Dark Lord would never forgive you for not seeking him out!" yelled out the one Death Eater that wasn't torturing him.

Wormtail could not argue with that statement. He knew that he was paying for all his crimes and betrayal of Prongs, Lily, Moony and Padfoot.

He should have killed himself. He should have turned his wand over to Sirius Black after the Potters and let the man blast his brains and guts out all over the hills of Scotland and England. It would have been a lot more merciful compared to what he was now enduring.

Though Wormtail still felt no guilt over what he had done to James and Lilly, in hindsight, he realized that when he had joined Voldemort, he had, for all intents and purposes, made a deal with the Devil. And the Devil didn't take refunds.

After what seemed like an eternity, the two torturing him finally stopped, allowing him a brief moment of reprieve before the third raised his wand. Wormtail could only pray that his death would be quick and that what people said about the Killing Curse-that it was it completely painless- was true.

Before the words could leave the Death Eater's mouth, the doors quickly flew open and voices yelled, "Aurors! Drop your wands now!"

_"Stupefy!" _was the last thing Wormtail heard before he was hit by the stunning spell from one of the Death Eaters.

"You're not getting away with this!" yelled out Antonin Dolohov as he fired off a stunning spell at the wall to make it seem more realistic.

Who Wormtail had thought to be servants of the Dark Lord were, in reality, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange in their Death Eater robes and masks. The third person was actually Anfis Dolohov, who wanted to play along.

The two "Aurors" were Rabastan and Antonin. Though Rabastan was a stoic man who showed little emotions and Antonin was the same way most of the time, it was taking every bit of self-control they had not to burst out laughing as they, as well as Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Anfis, continued to fire off curses and hexes at the walls around the Tavern to make it look and sound like a real fight between Aurors and Death Eaters.

The reason they were doing so was because of Wormtail's memories. They knew that the Ministry was most likely going to look over his Pensieve memories, to detect any sign of doubtfulness, added or altered memories. That was why Bellatrix had proposed the plan in the first place. It was a sure way to show that Sirius Black was never a Death Eater.

In the middle of the mock fight, Rabastan noticed that liquid was pouring out of Wormtail's pants leg. The little rat was pissing himself. He supposed that that urban legend was, indeed, true.

Making the universal sign for 'cease-fire', Bellatrix declared, "Damn that was fun!" as she jumped up and down, much the way a 4-year-old would do on Christmas Morning.

Lighting his corncob pipe, Rabastan turned to Anfis Dolohov and asked in his low pitched, monotone voice, "Anfis, if you and Alex could turn this rat over to the Ministry discreetly, it would be an extremely big help to us."

"No problem, Rab. That was the most excitement I've had in a while!"

**So what do you think?**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**The Next Day, 6:00 A.M.**

"What the Bloody Hell?" asked John Dawlish as he, Nymphadora Tonks, and Anna Dolohov came across an unusual and, quite frankly disturbing sight.

Bound and gagged in front of the entrance to the Auror Department was a beaten and bloodied Peter Pettigrew.

Nymphadora looked at Pettigrew's eyes and could instantly see fear, sleep deprivation, and malnutrition.

"What the Hell is a dead man doing on our doorstep?" demanded John. He had worked on the original murder case of Peter Pettigrew in 1981, had personally seen the finger the rat left behind and was more than convinced that Peter Pettigrew was dead. To say he was surprised would have been a gross understatement.

"No clue. Let's get him to the infirmary. After we confirm that he's not going to die on us, he gets put up in a holding cell," ordered Anna as she looked over the wounds on Wormtail's body. Over her twenty-six year career as an Auror, she had seen many wounds inflicted by curses. The wounds on his body were obviously left from the Cruciatus Curse, as well as one that she knew beyond any doubt was the work of her older brother, Antonin.

The Dolohov family specialized in creating and using Dark Curses. The one in particular that Wormtail had experienced was known as the Eveto Curse, a curse known to inflict massive organ damage to the victim.

As John left to get a medic, Tonks asked, "Anna, you alright?"

"I think my brother was responsible for this."

"Which one?"

"The one John Dawlish put away for life in Azkaban for double murder and who escaped recently."

"Do you know where he is or where we can find him?" Tonks said, knowing that vigilantism was not endorsed or tolerated by the Ministry of Magic.

"No, Tonks. Besides, I only think he could have done it. Never said anything of him having done it with absolute certainty." Anna said, knowing that Tonks had no reservations against arresting criminals, even ones she was related to.

"Are you talking to me as an Auror or as Antonin Dolohov's sister?" Tonks asked.

"I'm talking to you as both, Tonks. I have absolutely no idea where Antonin is. If I did, do you think I would hesitate for a single second from going there, beating the living shit out of him and then dragging him back to Azkaban myself?"

"Sometimes people do strange things for family, Anna." Tonks said. The unspoken suspicion and subtle accusation was not unnoticed by Anna, who had to use all the patience she had at her disposal to keep from lashing out verbally or magically.

"Junior Auror Tonks, watch this prisoner while I get the Truth Serum." Anna said curtly before going to fetch the Veritaserum.

Soon after making sure Wormtail was not going to die on them, they took him into a Ministry Interrogation Room to question him.

* * *

The interrogation room was fairly plain as the only décor inside in it was a table and chairs on both sides of it with an observation room behind the left hand chair where Peter Pettigrew sat, his wrists and ankles bound by shackles. Three drops of Veritaserum were applied to Pettigrew by the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Amelia Bones.

Anna then asked the standard question of, "What is your name?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

John Dawlish didn't let his face show that his fears had come true. If Peter Pettigrew was alive, to him that meant that he might have put an innocent man in Azkaban.

If that were true, how many others had he placed in Azkaban who didn't deserve to be there?

Amelia Bones then asked, "Why have you been hiding all of these years when Sirius Black confronted you in Diagon Alley that day and supposedly killed you?"

"He wanted revenge. He was going to kill me."

"Why would he want to kill you?" asked Anna.

"Because I was the Secret-Keeper for the Potters and Longbottoms and I betrayed them all to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Did Sirius Black kill those 12 Muggles fifteen years ago?" asked Tonks.

"No. I did. Sirius Black is innocent of all the crimes he's been accused of."

That silenced the room instantly. Though Tonks already knew that Sirius was innocent, to hear it come from the mouth of the man who framed him sent her soul upwards as she inwardly celebrated the confession.

John Dawlish, however, was not so joyful. In his twenty-four year career as an Auror, he had put away over two hundred Dark Wizards, Witches, and Criminals. Until just now, he had always known in his gut the people he sent away to Azkaban deserved it.

Now, having heard that Sirius Black, the man who had supposedly given up the Potters and the Longbottoms to Lord Voldemort in 1981 and murdered twelve Muggles in broad daylight with a single curse, was innocent, he began to doubt himself.

Who else had he sent away who was innocent? How many people whose lives had been wasted because he made a simple mistake?

Amelia then turned to Anna and said, "Senior Auror Dolohov, go get the Minister of Magic. He needs to hear this."

About thirty minutes later, Anna walked back into the room with the Minister of Magic himself, Cornelius Fudge, who, upon seeing Pettigrew, demanded, "What is this trickery, Auror Dolohov?"

"This is no trickery, Minister. We found him on our doorstep this morning. He is Peter Pettigrew. We've questioned him under Veritaserum."

Cornelius Fudge felt a cold chill grip his stomach. If Pettigrew was alive, then that meant his worst fears could come to fruition.

The Dark Lord may be on the rise again.

Senior Aurors Dolohov and Dawlish forced Fudge to listen to Wormtail's entire testimony. Though Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort was back, he did, however, believe that Sirius Black was innocent.

After hearing all that he had, Fudge immediately repealed the order for Sirius Black to receive the Dementor's Kiss and sent out an order to the Daily Prophet to make known on the front page article of the day that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he stood accused of.

Then he ordered that Wormtail be sent directly, without fail, to Azkaban, where he would be held until his trial, where he would answer for every single one of his crimes against wizarding society.

Once Fudge had left, Anna looked to Amelia and said, "He may be a benevolent figure but he's a foolish moron to purposefully turn a blind eye to danger."

"You have no idea." Amelia said in accordance. "He's well mannered but he's utterly useless when it comes to facing opposition. What the Ministry needs is someone who can wear the silk glove and the iron gauntlet at the same time and Fudge is not that man."

"Do I hear some ambition for the highest seat of authority in you, Amelia?" Anna asked.

"I don't know if I can suffer the politicians." Amelia said.

"Who says you couldn't? I think you can. In fact, you might even teach them a thing or two about what it means to run the Ministry of Magic."

"Thanks, Anna."

A few minutes of silence passed as they walked out of the room before Anna remarked, "5 Galleons says he's going to cover up the Dark Lord's return somehow."

"You're on." Amelia said.

* * *

**The Next Day  
**  
"Is this real, Albus?" asked Sirius Black as he stared at the Daily Prophet with disbelief.

The Daily Prophet in question spoke the truth for a change. It reported that Sirius Black was innocent of the crimes he was reported to have committed. The Dementor Kiss order had been revoked. On top of that, it had said that if he was reading the paper, he was to report to the Ministry of Magic to be formally cleared of all charges by the Wizengamot.

Even better news. It had reported that Peter Pettigrew had indeed been alive and, much to his surprise, had been left on the doorstep of the Auror Department.

It must have broken Mrs. Pettigrew's heart when the Ministry had shown up and had taken the Order of Merlin that Wormtail had 'earned'.

Though Sirius had leaped for joy when he saw the headline, it worried him. What if it were a trick to lure him there? As Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore would know if it were true or a trap.

"Yes, it is indeed real, Sirius. You will not have to worry about it being a trap. As Chief Warlock, I give you my word on this matter. All you have to do is go there and your charges will be abolished." replied Albus, a twinkle sparkling in his eyes.

Sirius looked Albus in the eyes and said, "In that case, Chief Warlock, I'm turning myself in to you right after I get myself presentable."

Following a shower and shave, Sirius dressed himself in a black button up shirt and trousers, with a brown blazer to complete it. After coming back down, he and Albus used a portkey to go to the Ministry of Magic.

* * *

**Ministry of Magic**

Though Sirius had nerves of steel, he couldn't deny he was nervous, especially since he was facing the entire Wizengamot, the High Court of Wizarding Britain. Sitting directly in front him was Cornelius Fudge, in his court robes, with every seat surrounding filled with the members of the court, including Amelia Bones, Albus Dumbledore, Augusta Longbottom and Amos Diggory.

He felt nothing special as the Veritaserum was administered to him by Anna Dolohov and he was strapped to the chair in the middle of the room.

"Sirius Orion Black, you stand accused of being a Death Eater during the First Wizarding War. Is this true or not?" started off Fudge, looking at Sirius as though he were something to be scraped off the bottom of a shoe.

"No. I was never a Death Eater and I still am not one."

Several shocked gasps went through the crowd as Albus asked, "Did you betray Lilly and James Potter as well as Frank and Alice Longbottom to Lord Voldemort in 1981?"

"No, I did not." Sirius said adamantly.

"Who did then?" asked Augusta Longbottom.

"Peter Pettigrew." Sirius spoke, relishing the looks and reactions of everyone who thought the worst of him.

"Which is why you killed him. For revenge, correct?" asked Fudge, determined not to make a fool of himself.

"No. I never killed Peter Pettigrew. I wish I had but I didn't."

"Have you ever killed anyone in your life?" asked Amelia.

"No. I have never killed anyone."

"Then who killed those twelve Muggles in 1981?" asked Albus, knowing now that Fudge wouldn't be able to use Sirius as a scapegoat anymore.

"Peter Pettigrew, also known as Wormtail, killed them and set me up to take the blame."

Everyone then turned to Cornelius who, after seeing the clear evidence before him, declared, "If there are no more inquiries, as Minister of Magic, I hereby clear Sirius Orion Black of all charges against him and pardon him for his unlawful stay in Azkaban."

Administering the antidote and untying him, Anna returned Sirius' old wand back after he got up from his chair.

* * *

**Number 12 Grimmauld Place  
**  
"Congratulations to you getting your freedom back, Sirius." declared Moody as he raised his flask, along with every other member of the Order of the Phoenix as they toasted to Sirius Black.

"Thank you all. It feels good to be free again." replied Sirius as he downed his own shot of Fire-Whiskey.

Suddenly, Molly came in with a letter and said, "It's to Sirius from the Ministry."

Sirius took it, opened it up and read it silently. His face turned cold. Looking up, he said, "At approximately 4 o'clock this afternoon, Peter 'Wormtail' Pettigrew was given the Dementors Kiss."

Though Sirius despised his former friend, in his opinion, no one deserved that fate. Personally, he would have preferred death than ever to be kissed by one of those demons.

Changing the subject quickly, Ted Tonks asked, "Guys, where's my daughter?"

"She went out for a drink. Didn't say where." replied Moody.

* * *

**Wyvern's Tavern, 8:00 P.M.**

Anna Dolohov walked into the old pub and took a seat at the bar. It was a slow night since nobody but her was there. Hopefully, her brother and sister were there somewhere.

She often came there to cool down after work. Though her relationship with Anfis and Alexander was strained, they did enjoy one another's company. After all, they were siblings.

Anfis walked out of the back room, saw her older sister and ran over to give her a bear hug, which Anna returned with great enthusiasm.

Breaking off the hug and pouring her a drink, Anfis asked, "How's your day been, Sis?"

"It's been good. I suppose you've heard the news about Black?"

"Yes I have. Hard to believe he's innocent." replied Anfis, before she decided to take a chance. She asked, "Anna, how'd you like to see your brother?"

"Sure. Send him out," replied Anna, thinking about Alex.

Footsteps came behind Anna, and a voice she never expected to hear said, "Hi Anna."

Whipping around, Anna Dolohov came face to face with a brother she hadn't seen free in 14 years, Antonin Dolohov. Instantly, she hugged him and yelled "It's so good to see you, Tony!"

"It's good to see you while breathing fresh air as a free man outside of Azkaban." Antonin said in reply, hugging her with all his might before continuing, "It's been too long, Anna."

The reason for their intensive hugging was, though Anna had made it a point to visit him in Azkaban, they didn't allow visitors to give hugs to the prisoners. The last time they had hugged was 14 years ago.

Finally breaking the hug, Anna finally asked, "Tony, what are you doing here though? I thought you'd be with the Dark Lord."

"I've left him, Anna. He's not my Master anymore. You need to be extra careful now as well. He's more than likely going to target you," replied Antonin in a voice that left no room for conversation on the matter.

"Don't worry about me, Big Brother. I can handle myself. And no. I'm not going to arrest you. Just make sure we don't cross paths while I'm on duty." Said Anna before downing a shot.

"I'll make sure me and friends don't then." remarked Antonin.

"Others left the Dark Lord as well?"

"Why yes we did, Anna Dolohov," cackled a voice.

Spinning around, wand up and at the ready, Anna Dolohov was staring right at Bellatrix Lestrange, as well as Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange.

Rodolphus made no comment about the wand in her hand, pointed directly at his heart, and asked, "Does that 'No Arresting While Off Duty' rule apply to us as well, Ms. Dolohov?"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you three right here and now." replied Anna before Tony placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "If you do that, Anna, you'd have to arrest me as well."

"He's right, Anna." said Anfis before continuing, "As much as I don't want Tony to go back to prison, if you arrest one, you'll have to arrest all of them."

Anna slowly lowered her wand before saying to Bellatrix, "Why should I believe that you, of all people, would willingly leave the Dark Lord? You're supposed to be his most loyal servant!"

Rabastan then stepped forward and told Anna the story. It took all of about 45 minutes to do so, but it was told, and just as Anna was about to comment, the door opened and Nymphadora Tonks walked in.

When the bubblegum-pink haired metamorphmagus saw Bellatrix, her wand was in her hand faster than a heartbeat. She said, "You must be my Aunt Bellatrix."

"So I finally get to meet my Half-Blood niece. Hello, Nymphadora." replied Bellatrix with a wicked smile as her right hand fingered her own wand.

"Never call me Nymphadora." growled Tonks before Rodolphus stepped between the two witches and asked, "You must be my Niece. What can we do for you, Ms. Tonks? I'm also curious as to how you found us."

"I came here because I wanted to ask Anfis and Alexander a few questions. But since you're here, I might as well give you a message, Uncle Rodolphus." Tonks replied awkwardly. It was the first time she had ever met her Uncles and Aunt. It was almost overwhelming.

"What message would that be, Tonks?" asked Rabastan, while Anna had gotten up from her seat and was standing by her brother.

"Narcissa Black was attacked two days ago and was dropped on my Mum's doorstep. She was near death but she's alive and well now thanks to my Mum. The only reasons I'm not arresting you three and Dolohov right now is because I don't have any backup and I don't want to get my friend in trouble," explained Nymphadora, staring intently at the former Death Eaters.

"I'm going to fucking rip his head off!" declared Bellatrix. Before she could do anything, Rodolphus placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Bella, as much as I would like to help you do that, charging in with wands blazing is not going to help you, us or your sister."

Once she got herself calm enough, Bellatrix looked at Tonks and said, "Thank you for letting us know about Narcissa's well-being. I'm grateful that I don't have to bury my sister."

With a curt nod, Tonks left the tavern with Anna Dolohov not far behind her.

* * *

When they were outside and a good distance away, Tonks turned to Anna, her best friend in the Auror Department, and the first person she had ever met in her job.

Anna Dolohov, when Tonks first started her career, had helped her adjust to the fact the Auror Department was a mainly male workforce. Had helped her learn to emotionally deal with some of the prejudice that a few members, including one John Dawlish, had against females working along side them.

Nymphadora Tonks, at that moment, didn't know what to say, except, "Anna, you're my boss and you know I respect you highly. But those are the most wanted fugitives in the Wizarding World, including your brother. Why didn't you arrest them?"

"Two reasons. Dolohov's my brother. If I arrested Bellatrix and her family, I'd have to arrest him as well. Second, I could ask you why you didn't go and arrest them as well. The answer would be the same as mine." Anna replied in an even tone to the younger woman.

"How can you be so lenient to Antonin Dolohov, Anna? I know he's your brother. He's also a murderer and a criminal. Did you even see the crime scene photos of what he and those others did to the Prewitt Brothers?" demanded Tonks, staring at her incredulously.

"I did see those photos. I also know that Tony stuck his neck out more times than I can count just so we could be family and not just an asset to the Dark Lord. He never betrayed me and I never turned my back on him. Even when he was in Azkaban, I visited him so he would not lose himself." Scoffed Anna in reply.

Silence came upon the two women for a moment before Tonks said, "Sometimes, Anna, I wonder what it'd be like if I had that kind of relationship with my Aunts and Uncles. But I don't. I never met them as a child and I never visited them in Azkaban. It's my duty as an Auror to bring them to justice."

"Are you going to turn them in?"

"If I do, then we lose a group who could help us fight the Dark Lord. I don't want to arrest people who are doing that."

"It seems that we both are in similar situations, Tonks. Turn in that lot and we end up losing a valuable ally. I don't want that either." Anna said.

"I won't do it if you won't."

**So what do you think? **


	5. Chapter 5

**I'd like to point out right now that a scene in this chapter was heavily inspired by a scene from Justified.**

**Chapter 5**

"As Head of this Household, I hearby reinstate Andromeda Tonks to the Family of the Ancient and Noble House of Black." declared Sirius as he cast a spell on the Black Family Tree, with Andromeda, Tonks, and Ted in the room with him.

Instantly, the scorch marks surrounding his and Andromeda's names disappeared. As they did, Ted and Nymphadora's names were added onto the tapestry as well.

Before anyone could say anything though, Tonks pulled out her wand and scorched off her first name. She said, "Not even a Family Tree is allowed to call me that."

Everyone gathered had a good laugh as they celebrated Sirius' good fortune, as well as receiving a hug from him for the first time as a true family.

**Meanwhile  
**  
"So what are we going to do now?" asked Antonin as he skeptically looked at the motley crew. Though he was glad to have left the Dark Lord, he was beginning to have doubts about their future.

They were all wanted fugitives. While he enjoyed staying with his family at the pub, Tony knew they wouldn't be able to stay forever.

"Sure as bloody hell can't go back to the Dark Lord," commented Rabastan. It was obvious he was depressed about the situation.

"The Order of the Flaming Chicken won't take us either. They'd just put us back in prison. Sodding Bastards." said Bellatrix.

They then turned to Rodolphus, who was deep in thought. Antonin asked gruffly, "Something you'd like to add, Rod?"

The younger man looked up, and asked, "Why don't we make our own side?"

Bellatrix stared at her husband of nearly 30 years and said, "Rodolphus, that's the dumbest idea I've ever heard in my entire life. Hell, that's worse than your idea to sell exploding loos!"

"Hang on there, Bella. Rod, you got my attention. What do you mean?" interrupted Antonin before Rodolphus could retort to his wife.

"We band together because we are all we really have. The Ministry has too many twisted politics and the Death Eaters would kill us on sight. We trust each other while everyone else won't. If neither will help us, we help ourselves. Get it?"

"I like it, Rod. It's a good idea, since we aren't obligated to follow the law like the Aurors are." said Antonin in reply, smiling at his friends thinking.

"Sounds good out in the open, Rod. But if we want to do any damage, we're going to need more than just us." pointed out Rabastan skeptically.

"Well I suppose we'll just have to go find some then!" yelled Bellatrix excitedly.

"I thought you said it was a dumb idea."

"Changed my mind."

That gave them all a chuckle before Tony said, "Well, we can't exactly go out into Diagon Alley and recruit off the street. We need people we can trust absolutely. I got a guy in mind. Remember my old cellmate, Victor Korbut?"

"I do. And I've got someone else in mind that we can trust. He's a sly old devil," commented Bellatrix.

Rodolphus caught on to her drift when he heard the final word out of her mouth before she yelled out, "Kreacher!"

With a loud crack, Kreacher appeared. He said, "Mistress Lestrange call Kreacher?"

"Yes, I did. We need you to find two people for us."

**Meanwhile  
**  
"Andy, I want to thank you for helping me when you did. I appreciate it. Congratulations on being reinstated onto the Black family tree." said Cissy, hugging her sister affectionately.

"Thank you, Cissy. It took a long time to hear those words from you but I am happy to hear them nonetheless." Said Andromeda before she asked, "Where's your son, Cissy?"

"He's at Hogwarts, right now. I'm afraid Lucius is going to have him Marked at the end of the Summer," replied Narcissa, shaking at the thought of it and feeling her heart clinch simultaneously.

"Cissy, we've got to do something. If not, he's going to either be buried in a pine box or become a full fledged servant of the Dark Lord." said Andromeda, dreading both outcomes.

"I never wanted him to be a murderer. I only wanted to honor our family's beliefs and ways of life."

"You wanted to make Mum and Dad proud and this is where you wound up." Andromeda said solemnly. "I would suggest that you stay here, Cissy. There's no telling who might be a spy out there waiting for you to pop your head out of hiding."

Looking out the window, Andromeda sighed. "Despite the fact we haven't seen each other in so long and everything that happened between us, I hope Bellatrix is out of harm's way."

**Meanwhile**

"Raise," said a man with a raspy voice as he faced the other four players. He was in his 30s, pale as a ghost and though his left eye was hidden beneath an eye-patch, his right eye saw plenty.

"800." said another man.

The pale man slammed his cards down on the table in victory before he happily collected the large pile of galleons from the middle of the table.

It was his 5th win of the night. A few more and he'd have enough to be OK for a few more weeks before he had to restock on his poker winnings.

The door opened and everyone who looked up nearly went for their wands as Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange walked in.

Rodolphus smirked at their reactions and said, "No need for that, gentleman. We're only here to talk to someone."

The pale man sank down in his seat as much as he could. Maybe they wouldn't notice him.

His hopes were dashed the moment that Bellatrix opened her mouth and said, "Hello, Devil."

Devil looked up and stared into the violet eyes of the beautiful woman he had lusted after since he was 17 years old and her husband. They had come to kill him for deserting Voldemort when he broke him out of Azkaban.

"How did you find me?"

"You were never the type to turn down a poker game, especially one where you could clean up big and leave with sacks of Galleons." Bellatrix said, taking sight of the small fortune in Devil's hands.

"Devil? Cute name. Who the Hell named you that?" came the voice of another player in the room, amused at the banter.

Rodolphus let out a laugh and said, "Actually, that's not his name. It's more along the lines of an Honorary Title. He's an old friend of ours."

Bellatrix cackled and walked over to Devil with a wicked smile on her face before placing her hands on head, stroking his hair and said, "I was the one who gave him that title. The day he earned it was one of the proudest days of my life."

"Snake-Face send the two of you here to kill me?"

"No, old friend. A lot has changed lately."

"Yet somehow, things appear the same. You're just as crazy and captivating as you ever were." Devil said.

"Why don't you buy me and Rodolphus a drink? You certainly seem like you can afford one for a few old friends."

Before Devil could reply to her question, a man burst into the room, wand drawn and yelled out, "Everyone on the damn ground! This is a hold up!"

_"Stupefy!" _yelled out Bellatrix and Rodolphus simultaneously as they drew their wands. The blagger was thrown backwards and knocked out cold.

Suddenly, Bellatrix turned her wand on the players and Rodolphus said, "Devil, pick up your winnings so we can leave."

Devil looked confused at the statement and asked, "You serious?"

Bellatrix leaned down to his ear and purred, "We came here for you. But we'll leave with all your winnings, if that is what you'd like."

"Can you protect me from the Dark Wanker?" asked Devil.

"We absolutely can."

Devil smirked wickedly, picked up his sacks of Galleons, and rasped, "Guys, it's been real but I gotta go," as he, and the couple left the room.

**Meanwhile**

If asked whether or not the 5 years he had served in Azkaban for robbery had changed him at all, Victor Korbut would simply challenge them to a game of Italian arm wrestling, which was just a fancy way of making someone hit themselves with their own fist.

Most walked away afterwards. Some demanded a rematch. It ended most of the time with them in St. Mungo's for sustained concussions.

Either way, it was highly amusing to the 38 year old psychopathic Russian while his sipped his hot cocoa in the pub. It was located in Knockturn-Alley, had been for 50 years.

The cocoa was laden with marshmallows and a shot of Fire-Whiskey. He had never tried it and found that it kept the cocoa from going cold and had quite a kick.

Glancing at the cocoa for a infinitesimal fraction of a second, Korbut never saw them coming until they were seated across the table from him.

"How does freedom taste, Vic?"

Looking up with his wand instantly flying to his hand underneath the table, Korbut saw his old friend and fellow Russian Antonin Dolohov sat next to Rabastan Lestrange.

"Well, it feels good, considering I did my five years the legal way. Didn't expect to see you, Tony, or your buddy." Said Korbut, glancing at Rabastan, who was smoking his pipe. "So what brings you here? Recruitment mission for your Dark Lord?"

"No, Vic. We burned that bridge and that's now behind us. However, you weren't so off point about the recruitment idea." replied Rabastan, smirking at the accusation.

"I'm going to have to call bull-shit on that, Rabastan. There's no way the two of you would leave that psychopathic, workaholic jackass."

"Well, Vic, I'll put it to you like this: The fact you aren't dead yet because of that comment should be all the proof you need." growled Dolohov, his hand fingering his own wand.

"Fair enough. So what do you mean by recruitment?"

Rabastan put down his pipe and replied, "Me, my brother, Tony and my sister-in-law have created our own faction for when this war comes out to the public. Trust us. It's going to be bloody."

"Why should I trust in let alone join up with a faction headed by four wanted fugitives, which I'm sure the Ministry would not condone if they knew about it."

"The Ministry didn't condone us before on our own. I'm sure it won't be any different now that we're all together." Rabastan said nonchalantly.

"As for why you should join us, you wouldn't have to follow their rules, Vic. Neither the Ministry nor the Death Eaters. We would fight on our own terms. More importantly, you're one of the few who, while never having been a Death Eater, isn't afraid of getting his hands dirty." explained Antonin, referring to some of the stories Victor had told him while they had shared a cell in Azkaban together.

"Well, you do have some good points there. I got one question though. If I decide I've had enough, and leave of my own accord, would you, or anyone else kill me?" asked Korbut suspiciously.

"No. None of us would."

Putting down his drink, Victor held out his hand and said, "I'm in."

**Meanwhile**

"I hope she's safe too." said Cissy, taking a sip of tea before Andy looked away from the window and asked, "Cissy, what did the Dark Lord order Bella to do that was so unspeakable that she would suddenly desert him?"

"He wanted to heighten his resources and influence and the Black Family is plentiful of all that and more. The current Lord Black isn't likely to support the Dark Lord at all." replied Cissy.

"Does he know who the current Lord Black is?"

"Yes. He does. If Sirius is slain, then the family estate would be up for grabs unless there was a successor to take the ranks. He believes that Draco is the heir. That's all I know." said Narcissa, before picking up her tea from the table and taking another sip.

"He really thinks Draco is the heir to the Black Family?" asked Andromeda incredulously.

Before Narcissa could reply, the door opened and Ted Tonks walked in, carrying a basket of fish he'd caught from his two day trip. He said, "Dromeda, I'm home, darling. We're going to eat good tonight."

It was then that he noticed who his wife was talking to. With his eyes fixed on both Andromeda and his estranged sister-in-law, Ted said, "Narcissa Malfoy. I never expected to see you here."

"It's Black now. You must be Ted Tonks." Narcissa said, taking in the sight of the Muggle-born wizard that married Andromeda. "I trust that you have provided a good life for my sister."

"I'm not a wealthy man but I'm far richer than you. I'm actually surprised that you would acknowledge my wife as your sister after all these years."

"Many things have changed over the years. I will not be surprised if you don't believe me but they have."

Before Ted could say anything in response to the Pureblood witch, all of their stomachs growled simultaneously. Andromeda looked at both of them and said, "We'll discuss it over dinner, you two."

**Meanwhile  
**  
"Here's to the future," toasted Bellatrix as she, Tony, Rodolphus and Rabastan, as well as Victor Korbut and Devil, toasted with glasses of Fire-whiskey before downing them.

"So what are you 6 going to do now?" asked Alexander as he and Anfis played a game of cards while watching the new faction celebrate it's inception.

Before they could answer, the door opened and Nymphadora Tonks walked inside. The look on her face was neutral as she stared down the older men and women.

"Auror Tonks, is it?" Antonin said as he rose to address Bellatrix's estranged niece.

"Antonin, Anfis and Alexander Dolohov, I've got some bad news for all of you." began Tonks before taking a deep breath. She hated making these kinds of visits.

"What happened?" asked Anfis, concern evident in her voice.

"It's Anna. She was found near Death just outside Knock-Turn Alley. We got her to St. Mungo's. She's alive but in critical condition." said Tonks before she walked out, having informed the immediate family of the victim. Though Tonks had seen death before, seeing a comrade in arms so close to it always shook her up to the point of constant worry.

As she left, Antonin put down his glass, and headed towards the door before Bellatrix asked, "Where are you up to, Tony?"

"I'm up to doing what I do best." Antonin said grimly.

He was about 3 feet from the door when he felt Rodolphus grab him. "As much as I don't blame you for how you're feeling right now, we can't go off into the unknown with bugles blaring and wands blazing if we don't know who put your sister on Death's doorstep. In case you have forgotten, we are fugitives on the run from both the Ministry and the Dark Lord."

"What am I supposed to do? Just let this go unanswered?"

"No. Retribution is coming. Make no mistake of that. Only when it does, it will be in a way that we stay as far away from Azkaban as possible."

Antonin's face seemed to tear up as he said, "I can't let it happen again. Not a third time."

Alexander and Anfis then went to the coat racks, picked up their overcoats, and said to Antonin, "Tony, let's go see our sister. We'll put a disillusionment spell on you. Come on."

**1 hour later**

"What did he mean by a '3rd time'?" asked Devil as he took a shot of Fire-Whiskey with Bellatrix and Rodolphus. Victor Korbut and Rabastan had gone upstairs to sleep for the night, leaving the three fugitives all alone downstairs.

The bar had been closed for the night. Anfis and Alexander were in no mood to work. They wanted to spend as much time with their sister as they could.

"You don't know?" asked Rod.

"Well, I joined a year before the way ended. Never really got to know Tony. Mind explaining it to me, Bella, Rod?" asked Devil.

Rodolphus sighed, put down his drink, and said, "Devil, this is the 2nd time Anna has been put in the Intensive Care of St. Mungo's. In 1982, she was attacked and left for dead outside of Knock-Turn Alley."

"Good lord. Who did that?"

"Six of her fellow Aurors," began Bellatrix in a monotone, before taking a sip of her drink and continuing, "Their names were Jamal Blum, Reginald McDonald, Ian Thompson, Conrad Bouquet, Matthew Murphy, and I believe Paul Schmidt."

"Why would they do that?"

Rodolphus drained his cup and continued, "Devil, you know as well as my wife, brother, and best friend do that the Dark Arts are addictive and, unless properly controlled, can cause you to start losing yourself. In the First War, the Aurors were given permission to use them. After it was over, those powers were taken away."

"From what I heard, those 6 had no control over their addiction. They wound up using them on several missions afterwards. One time, Anna Dolohov saw this occur. She reported it to her superiors." interrupted Bellatrix.

"They took it out on her. They only made one mistake. They didn't finish the job. When she recovered, she pointed the finger at them, and they got Life in Azkaban." finished Rodolphus, staring Devil right in the eye.

"Shit man. Thanks for explaining that."

Bellatrix then finally said, "Tony isn't going to rest until he's personally killed the person who has attacked his sister. There's no doubt in my mind that he'll make it as painful as he possibly can."

**So what do you think?**


End file.
